Former Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson has come out as gay.
The 50-year-old, who won an Olympic silver medal for Great Britain during his career, revealed in Swedish documentary Rainbow Heroes why he kept his sexuality hidden from the public eye.
In an interview with Anna Blomqvist, the Welshman revealed that he did not publicly come out as gay during his career because he did not want his sexuality "sensationalised".
While speaking to Swedish former athletes Kajsa Bergqvist and Peter Haggstrom, Jackson described the moment when he told his parents that he was gay following a story that was sold to the press by an ex-partner of his in 2006.
"I was waiting for them in the kitchen. They walked in and they sat down. My mother could see my face and I was quite distraught," said Jackson.
"It didn't faze them at all. My mum went, 'First of all, is the story true?' And I said it's true, so it's not like I can deny it. And then she went, 'Well, why are people so disgraceful?' I just realised, I've got the best parents."
Jackson now works as an athletics pundit for the BBC.
Danielle Joynson
